The funeral service for Margie B. Snyder, 88, a longtime rural Spring Valley, Minn., resident will be at 1 p.m. on Monday, October 3, 2016 at the Sumner Center United Methodist Church in rural Spring Valley, Minn., with Rev. Wane Souhrada officiating. Burial will take place at the Sumner –Millett Cemetery in Sumner Township. Mrs. Snyder died on Monday, September 26, 2016)of natural causes at the Clara House in Harmony, Minn., where she had been a resident for the past year.
Margie Beth Ihns was born on March 5, 1928 in Preston, Minn., to Walter and Emma (Austin) Ihns. She grew up on the family farm in rural Lime Spring, Iowa, and attended country school where she discovered her love for learning, and in the 8th grade was the Grand Champion Speller in Howard County and placed 9th at the Iowa State Spelling Contest. Margie was married on September 25, 1946 in Lime Springs to Ivan DuMez Snyder. Following their marriage, the couple farmed in rural Ostrander and Spring Valley for a few years before moving in 1951 to the current Snyder Family farm, where they raised their four children and lived together for many years. Margie was a farmwife and homemaker and Ivan was a lifelong farmer. Mr. Snyder died on August 9, 2001. Margie was a natural caregiver; whether for a family member or a neighbor, she was there to help with a meal or to lend a hand. She was employed with Fillmore County Social Services in the 1960s as one of the first home health care aides in the county. In 1970, she was employed with the U.S. Postal Service in Stewartville as its first female city letter carrier and in the office.
Margie was a active member of the United Methodist Church in Sumner Center, serving in many capacities – with U. M. Women activities, on the church board, and as a Sunday school teacher for adults. She was a charter member of the Prairie Land Parish. She was active with her children’s 4-H, was a Sunshine Lady and belonged to the Neighborhood Birthday Club. She continued her education later in life, receiving her GED in 1966 at Stewartville High School, and enjoyed taking community education courses on various topics and crafts. They were charter members of the MN Donkey and Mule Assn. and participated in the Friendship Wagon Train for number of years. They enjoyed traveling throughout the U.S., including trips to Alaska and Virginia, where she would meet with her pen pal of 65 years. Margie loved to dance as a young girl, and with Ivan, square danced all over southeast Minnesota together. She was an avid reader and photographer, enjoyed gardening and flowers, cooking and baking, and was widely known for her breads (Margie Buns!) and raspberry jelly. They loved all the wild animals on their farm and would feed the birds, squirrels and rabbits year-round. Margie enjoyed time visiting with friends and loved time spent with her family and especially her numerous cats and dog, Lassie.
Margie is survived by two daughters and a son: Emilie (Robert) Durand of Spring Valley, Rebecca (Jim) Herron of Sidney, Mont.; and Joel (Darla)Snyder of St. Joseph, Mo.; daughter-in-law June Snyder of Oak Harbor, Wash.; seven grandchildren: Ben Snyder, Ivan J. Snyder, Melinda (Cory) TeStroote, Marla (Cory) Gilman, Amy (Casey) Jackson, Bianca Snyder and Ariel Snyder: six great-grandchildren: Marcus, Justin, Ivan W., Loralai, Jacob and Maliyah; her sister, Wanda Isaacson of Riceville, Iowa; numerous nieces, nephews and cousins; and lifelong friend, Julia Timmerman. She was preceded in death by her husband, Ivan and son, Anthony in 2005: her parents, her sister, Gloria Jefferson and her husband, Gordon; brother, Wallace Ihns and his wife Edith; and brother-in-law Mervin Isaacson.
A time of visitation will take place from 4-6 p.m. on Sunday, October 2, 2016 at Griffin-Gray Funeral Home in Stewartville and an hour prior to the service at the church on Monday. Arrangements are with Griffin-Gray Funeral Home in Stewartville.